Love Struck
by Aishwarya Swan-Cullen
Summary: Demigod Files. Both Percy's parents kept diaries of their wonder years with each other, and so he couldn't resist to find out what happened when Poseidon met Sally. Alternate Universe ::set between Sea of Monsters and Titan's Curse::
1. A Word 'Cuz I'm Very Important

**Set in between Sea of Monsters and Titan's Curse. I love the book, and most of all....GROVER AND PERCY FOREVER!!**

A word, before we begin.

I'm Percy Jackson, and I'm thirteen at the moment – my first tumble into what my mother tells me is the rockiest road of anyone's life: adolescence. Especially for her – whenever she tells me tales of her childhood, I am always awe-struck; her past and my past are so different, and hers is always more appealing for me to listen to.

My past is cool too, don't get me wrong. Only, if I told any mortal about it, they'd just be like "okay, yeah, sure" and I'd have wasted my breath after all. No mortal could believe that I'd had an encounter with Charbydis, or Scylla, or Zeus or Circe or Medusa or Cyclopes…

But my past, for me, was too painful to think about. Not that anything bad had happened, no, but I just spent half my time thinking about my father. My grand, godly, awesome father. He's Poseidon, you know. Another thing a mortal would never believe – I mean, when I first found out that the gods still existed, I refused to believe it. Until I actually realized I was with some godly people at the time, people who seemed to have materialized from my textbook knowledge to real life. Take Chiron, camp activities co-ordinator for Camp Half-Blood for example; I blurted my belief of no gods to his face, and he turned out to be an immortal centaur dude. Another thing mortals won't believe.

I quite liked the view of the sea from here. It was quite beautiful. Sea was my homeland – I was most powerful there, or with Riptide. Only this year, possibly a month ago had I claimed my territory there, having ventured deep into the Bermuda Triangle/ the Sea of Monsters (explains the disappearances, doesn't it?) to seek out Grover, one of my best friends, and also the Golden Fleece (which would cure Thalia's poisoned tree, where her spirit had been amassed).

Only, the Fleece worked its magic too well. Thalia had been brought back to life.

Not that it's a bad thing. I'd learnt to quite like Thalia – in the person sense I mean, not the _like_ like but the you're-a-cool-person-wanna-be-my-friend like. She was like a punk-Goth person, and she had an amazing personality. She and Annabeth got along pretty well, I suppose, since Annabeth was the one to nurse Thalia as soon as the Fleece made her come alive.

I just needed rest. What with the Fleece magic being an advantage to us and Kronos (evil Titan guy), I didn't know how to think or what to do. Quite frankly, term hadn't ended as of yet at Camp Half-Blood – but Chiron had escorted me to my mother, as she was worried ever since the Cannibalistic monsters from Meriwether Prep had caused me, Annabeth and Tyson (who later I found was a half-brother of mine and a Cyclops). My mother had hugged me and insisted that Chiron and I stray for a while.

I loved being with her, I did.

But my knew communication with the sea had made me hell bent on brooding over my father – was he nice? Did he once like me? What had caused my godly father to leave? At least my mortal mother was strong enough. At least she had the strength to raise me.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not Hermes. I'm not a thief. I'm the son of Poseidon, the sea god, and not one of Hermes, god of messengers and thieves. But I had to do it.

Sometimes, curiosity pushes you over the edge.

And I mean come on – I really wanted to know about my father and his relationship with mom. It's any kid's dream to see the true colours of his dad.

So, with the pretext of searching for a bag of blue candy she had in her wardrobe which she allowed me to search for and eat, I readily and hungrily started to search. Not for the candy, no, I was full of it for the moment (ever heard of toffee and jelly snake mixture filled pancakes with strawberry n maple syrup on top?). Instead, I was looking for something…

Found it! The thought had alerted every neuron in my body. It was as if they all heard the news and were tingling in anticipation, making me shiver with them. The pink, fluffy colour was so feminine, it was hard to miss.

The same pink fur covered book, a perfect square and yet as large as an IGCSE Physics Textbook (and very thick too) sat in my lap, held by one of my hands. I traced the silver, jutting "S" embedded in the pink and moved my finger in her writing to the "A"….

At the same moment, it occurred to me that only some time ago, I had been tracing the same type of silver, glitter glued "P" and then "O" and then "S" on a similar furry blue cover.

Thank the gods, Hermes and I were on good terms. Thank the gods that he had returned to me not too long back, carefully handing the blue book to me, previously disguised as a useless goblet and scattered uselessly in one of the drawer's of the sea god's chests.

The door burst open and I scrambled from my bed in the Poseidon cabin, back from mom's a week ago (though I had to go back in a month or too). My head snapped around to see who it was, and cricked in the process. It was light, possibly eight in the morning on a Saturday, so I could see just the silhouette of the person who had barged into the cabin, where only I slept, seeing as Tyson was out at sea. Between the pouring light, I could make out messy hair, weird goat like legs and a hint of horns protruding from the hair.

Behind him trailed a girl, a girl growing up to be gorgeous – her long hair flowed in the light and she clutched her gown. Still, the way in which she walked – sharp and hyperactively, told me it was Annabeth. And beside her, Grover.

She ran in and sat down on the foot of my bed, followed by Grover who plopped down comfortable beside me, resting on my protruding pillow.

"So, where is it?? I wanna read it!!"

Never seen her this excited, never. After all, her life had been so miserable, seeing her this happy lifted a lot of load off my shoulder, But why should she care about my parents?

Grover was curious too, he lifted the blue godly book from under my pillow and caressed it.

They were looking at me, and they knew what was going on. Poseidon and Sally Jackson had kept it all a secret from the world, except for me and a few others. And now, it was time to open their hearts, to search their souls and to delve into their minds. I was dyslexic, I know, but maybe it was with age – I knew I could read properly now. And yet, I let Annabeth read. I passed the pink one – my mother's outlook would get us to the point.

Annabeth unlocked the book, and lifted aside the cover, and the first page that greeted her contained of one photo – that of a handsome man with stunning black hair and striking green eyes. She lingered, as my pupils dilated in recognition, but then turned the page, and hit the large window of writing, and started to read.

"Dear Diary".


	2. My Dad Decided To Go Swimming At Night

**I just noticed that other PJ writers have written a lot on this topic :D ooooh my fanfic won't be that popular, what with the much spotlighted competition. But ive read them, and i figured that they are all half hearted, hardly with any meaningful plot. People on need to learn to write better, with the exceptions of some...**

"Dear Diary,

My dream is to become a novelist, we all know. Uncle has just passed away and I really don't know what to do – I'm homeless, I'm alone, and I can't even wander in the streets of New York because if there's anything I know, it's that America is a rapist's paradise. I'm scared and hungry. I bought this book with money I got from begging and the pen too. And a lot's been happening. This is the first time I'm writing here. It's because I've met him.

Met who? Might you ask?

I'll tell you.

I was wide awake, but tired. A whole day of walking, searching, though I don't know what for. I knew I needed a woman's shelter place, because I just didn't have anything – my same old clothes I kept in the best condition possible, no money, no papers, no passport, and no home, nobody to help me, nothing. All I could lose was my life, and my clothes, and that's when I'd crack.

It was night – late out, but I didn't know what to do. I was sitting at the edge of a pier jutting off shore into the sea, and my legs were dangling from the last plank. I was sitting in peace, smelling the sea spray and listening to its rhythmic flow. As if it called to me – I felt like singing. I felt like writing poetry. Nothing was more comforting than watching inky black waves with shimmering moonlight in the indigo blue sky. Nothing was better than sitting in oblivion, with the mounting waves erratically swishing by, occasionally jumping to catch my feet.

I knew I needed someplace to sleep, and what better place than sleeping here? The sea would keep my company. Its crash and drawback was better than any nightingale or lullaby that I had ever heard.

Before I knew it – I had just been staring at the sea – I felt drowsy and fell asleep, slumping sideways, gently, and my eyes closed on landing.

The scary thing was that I had a sensation of rolling into something wet, and arms were around me, warm as a mother's.

When I had woken up, I wasn't on the damp warping wood of the jutting pier anymore, with the comforting cadence of the sea; no, instead I was on some soft material, wrapped quite warmly, and under the nice blanket-y material, there was uneven, ridged ground, sure to be rock weathered by water.

My eyes fluttered slightly, and I felt warm. The sight was warm. Blurry, but it was warm. It was yellow. The sound of the sea had faded, and now it was like silence reverberating off the cave wall – the silence served as another lullaby.

I straightened my back and rose to place myself tenderly on my backside. There was a blanket on top of me. And instead of facing the sea, I was facing a person.

A man.

He was looking at me with an intense look in his eyes – a look so sharp that my eyes hurt just looking at them. I stared into their green depths while my heart jumped, and I sprang up. I was in a cave. With a man.

It was uncomfortable – the stories I had grown up with were forever etched in my mind. Immediately, I felt so scared that I had a hard time breathing – a hot painful tingling spread up from my stomach to my throat and it felt s if my Adam's apple had plopped into my intestines.

He didn't stir; his face was modelled handsomely – he had carelessly ruffled black hair, that of a young teenager, and large, framed green eyes, His skin was supple, but he looked slightly aged, as if years, possibly millennia of sight, had aged his body, and that he was bored. His nose was a manly large type – flat. He had dimples, it was easy to tell, and he had the mot beautiful mouth I had seen – a manly pink and wide, pearly white teeth glistening. The mouth was slightly apart in concern, his brows furrowing.

All the while, I stared at him, holding the blanket up. I was still in my clothes, thank god.

"Whatever you're thinking, I'm not going to hurt you."

Had he read my mind? I remember dismissing the possibility because my uncle had told me that I was easy to read. Then again, his gaze never left my face – his green eyes were depthy, but sieving information. All men about to pounce sad the line, all of them.

"Get away from me," I whispered, backing off.

"I'm telling you, you're safer here than out there-"

"Get away from me," I hardly dared to listen to him and his fibbing lies.

"Ok, fine, I'll just 'go away'." He shrugged, got up, and walked out of the cave's dark entrance. He was wearing an unbuttoned white shirt, which was the first thing I found scary – though it was a little humid. Under, he wore blue cargo short and flip flops. He had a wispy black goatee.

I was surprised. I'd gotten up and he had gone away? I regretted spurning his advances slightly. Yet I knew he was being sincere – he had left to have me avoid any discomfort.

I felt bad. I had to say sorry.

I remember trudging out of the cave, and sighting his muscular body walk towards the black water.

The sky was never black – it was always a shade of blue, always. His silhouette captured me, and wrapping around me the blanket, I watched him, wondering why he was heading towards the waves.

The lullaby of waves started again as I looked at them. He too seemed to admire the power of the sea as he trudged comfortably to it.

He was a step away from the water; I never thought he's go in – it was cold at night and dangerous too, but he kept on walking, his feet now gauging an uneven path to break the cadence of the waves. He waded through and I gasped, wondering why he was being foolish and planning to swim of all things in the dead of the night.

What did I do? I ran. I ran towards him, my blanket fluttering like a cape and I yelled "Oi!! What are you doing??"

He halted and turned around, and I appeared on the fringe of the waves, not daring to go in at all. He was truly startled, having been caught in the act, and he certainly did not expect to see me of all people there.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour back there," I mumbled.

"It's ok. You're human, after all."

It took a while for me to digest that – what was he implying? That he wasn't human? Dismissing the comment as a phrase, I took a step closer to him and felt the tinier waves tickle my sensitive toes.

"Please don't go in – it's dangerous."

"What is?"

"The sea, at night."

He took it offensively, I could see. His soft and curious expression transformed into one of transgression. He seemed hurt.

"What's so wrong about the sea at night? After all, the sea is a base for all life."

Overhead, somehow, thunder boomed at his words, as if God was rebuking him for highlighting the sea of all elements in life.

"No…I meant that it's just not safe as of yet at night. Don't go in, please."

Something in my expression prompted him to exit his stand in the water. He walked back to me, and as soon as he reached me, I turned around. The two of us walked back to the cave.

"Thanks," I said, "for saving me, if it was you. I thought you were some kind of crazed goon."

"Not all male helpers are goons," he chuckles, smiling at me. "And you're welcome. After all, I'm not that kind of a guy, the type that goes around scaring women."

I laughed slightly, and I believed him.

"What were you doing on the pier?" He inquired.

I was shifty, uncomfortable. I could tell him the truth, couldn't I?

"I was looking for a place to sleep. The sea has its charm in the evening and I sort of…fell asleep."

"What about your home?"

"Homeless. I've been searching for a woman's shelter place for a while."

Even in the darkness, it was evident that he could sense my discomfort. But he wasn't repulsed or put off – in fact, the sympathy now plastered to his face, the unabashful type, seemed to come straight from his heart.

"You're homeless?" He was appalled by the possibility.

"Yeah."

"But you're – you're…..how can you of all people be?"

Wow. Shocking.

"What do you mean "me"? Being homeless isn't all that bad!!"

He just looked at me intensely.

"Ok, it's bad."

He looked like he really wanted to put his arm around me to comfort me.

It was almost morning, dawn was going to break; the sky had lightened slightly. So instead of heading back to the cave, I trudged to the pier, the same woody pier, and he followed me. The sea was calming down, and it was beautiful – even I longed to jump in and have all my worries disappear from my mind. Instead, we sat on the edge of the wooden shafts, the blanket around me, and I sighed mournfully.

"How did this happen to you," he asked me, his voice weak with stupefaction.

"What? Homelessness?"

He nodded.

"My parents died in a plane crash not long back – and I was orphaned. My uncle took me up, and I wanted to become a novelist by the time I passed my adolescence with him. But then he was diagnosed with cancer, and all our money went into that, and I had to even sell off the house to have him live. He died, and all that cash just…wasted away."

Pause. "Sorry," his manly, godlike voice whispered. "Even trite human things can hurt."

"Trite?"

"It's in a different sense. America does not know the meaning of trite."

He left me confused.

I was getting used to him. But at the very moment, there was a certain warmth than was spreading through me. You know that feeling when you see a cute guy looking at you? That type. That feeling of a sudden rush of hormones in your blood. I don't know where it came from, but it was a nice feeling. I was having….feeling for my saviour, this cute guy who'd landed up beside me.

"What happened when I was sleeping?"

He looked at me and smiled.

"It's a tall tale."

I frowned. "I can stand tall tales."

"No really," he grinned. "It's literally a tall tale."

And though I knew he was holding back, I let it go.

My hand hurts right now, writing all of this. It's a miracle I can remember everything he said – but it's because I really like him. He's a gorgeous person who's open and out, and he didn't even dare to hurt me. He seemed interested in me too.

So when he said that he really had to go, I was a little sad. I mean, when you meet the guy of your dreams, you don't entirely want him to leave you.

I allowed him to walk back to shore, and after I had thanked him, he told me that if I wanted to, we could meet again at the same place later on today…in the evening. He parted then, smiling at me, his green eyes of power digesting and lingering on my flushed face.

Then he just turned and walked back, walking along the shoreline, but walking diagonally, as if purposely drowning his feet in water. When he was far along, and thigh deep in water – right by that big overhanging cliff rock, I giggled slightly, glad I'd met him.

I turned around.

Then I turned back, and he had disappeared."

Annabeth stopped, ad the diary entry had finished, and she turned to face me and Grover, with her eyes glistening slightly.

Wow. Sally Jackson and Poseidon…Part 1.

The magic of such a thing happening – I could almost feel my mother recounting those words to us, her face dreamy as it always went talking about father.

"And to think he left her," I grumbled.

Where the resentment came from, I do not know. But it was hard to imagine my father parting with her what with Sally's immense affection for him.

I only wondered where I would come in.


	3. An Unplanned Date to a Lost City

**Thank you to the few really really nice people who reviewed to the story: and those who favourited it. Thanks a lot - it made me want to write more and I really appreciate the attention :D thanks people!! I love you all!! Just a final request : please pretty please review more, because It'd make me happy :D lol have fun reading this chapter!!**

A conch horn blew somewhere, warning of the morning assembly at the lunch tables for breakfast.

Annabeth's head whipped about faster than anything I could have ever believed, and Grover leapt from his comfortable seat by my bed. They both hastily headed out the door, I followed them.

The morning blanketed the ground, and dew drops could be seen even though this wasn't near winter.

Breakfast was an …event. No, not really, actually. Just the usual. But it being the weekend meant that we could rest a while, and just chill.

Inside of going back to my lonesome cabin, the three of us went by the creek near Zeus' fist, where the camp hosted its Catch the Flag game. The small creek bubbles merrily, facing the woods where wood nymphs and dryads and satyrs were happily frolicking.

I sat at the crest of the creel on a jutting rock, and Annabeth set beside me, Grover landing beside her. I pulled out the pink fluffy diary and handed it to Annabeth, who was happier after breakfast. She opened the page we were meant to be on and brisked it with her fingers, for a moment possible thinking of true love herself.

She cleared her throat and started to narrate once more.

"Dear Diary,

I have officially gone crazy. Yes I have. I mean yesterday, there was nothing of that sort – I wasn't seeing things, but today, I went absolutely psychotic inside my own mind. You know one of those rare moments where you see something strange, and then when you look back its not there, but you believe that just a moment ago, you saw it? I was going really…I dunno….mad?

I remember:

The orange halved grapefruit the colour of…grapefruit, well, hung low in the sky, daring to meet the eager waves, which, from this angle, appeared to leap and brush their fingers with its juicy, clean edges. It was determined to stay low in the sky…but it was as if someone was trying their hardest to pull it up for daybreak – the morning had come and everyone was awake; it was just the summer sun now that refused to wake as early as any of us did.

Of course, I immediately thought of the famous Greek God Apollo who rode the sun chariot from East to West everyday according to mythology. It fascinated me. I had believed it as a child, because my father would tell me these myths for bedtime stories. I only wish if the life of the gods was life today – nothing better would prevail than to live in a world where people would have widespread power to teach the people of the globe a lesson.

I remembered that yesterday evening I was meant to be around him – my mystery man – but we just couldn't find each other, and it was my mutual intuition that it would be this morning.

So I turned around, because I could here in the din the muffled, squelching sound of large feet on wet sand. The weight was carried casually, and it was relaxed; the person plodded along the moist coastline. I at once met his stunning green eyes and gasped, because despite his black, handsome hair and his flawless skin, he looked different.

Before, he had an air of royalty… but now, he looked like he was the king of the human race. In fact, he was even carrying a trident – a stunning iron black and rouge bronze in shade, and a typical devilish thing – but it had been crafted with such detail that I believed it was truly real. He held it like he would use it swiftly on anything that went wrong; his symbol of power – which stood what? Six feet tall? He now had a small black beard, a miniature of his old one. He was wearing somehow better groomed clothes, a baggy blue tee that emphasized the muscular contours of his abdomen and he wore Greek style Bermuda shorts….and were those ancient Greek sandals??

I stared, standing up. He frowned as he came to me.

"What?" he asked. "I got a little gear."

He twitched the glowing trident.

"Little? Are you kidding me?? What's that for….fishing??"

He frowned. "Yes. Fishing rods are most definitely used for fishing…."

"For hammerheads or killer whales maybe, but not the ones you get here."

He got even more confused, yet there was a light in his eyes, and he snapped his fingers like he had just gotten an idea. I suppose the click was meant to do something…

"Well, I'm completely confused. Don't we fish with fishing rods??"

"Yes."

"Then why hammerheads…??"

"You don't fish with tridents. Rods. You're carrying a hell big trident, dude."

His eyes widened in knowledge and they twitched, as if he were stuck in some muddy, slip-sandy situation.

"T-Trident?"

"Yes a trident." I rolled my eyes in an obvious manner, placing my arms on my hips. "What do you think you're trying to push it off as? A gargantuan olive-fork?"

"How can you see it?"

He was so fooling around with me – I knew it. Impossible, he was, impossible.

I pointed. "It is not hard to see your gargantuan olive-fork."

"It's a trident."

"Thanks, Cap'n Obvious." I gave him a mocking salute.

"How can you see through the Mist?"

"Well, as far as I know, mist occurs in winter on very high peaks and stuff, where the clouds are low. Here, we are at the bottom, so no mist."

"No, no, no – I meant the mist with a capital "M""

A capital "M"?? "What the?"

"What's your name?" he asked, completely bamboozled by my ability.

"Sally Jackson." I smiled. "Aspiring novelist. And you?"

He smiled. "You really wanna know?"

"Yes"

"It's Poseidon."

"Ah….like in the sea god? Fancy."

"Yes. Very much like that."

I gulped. He was being serious.

"You're not implying that you could be the actual sea god?!?" I laughed, because I said such a stupid thing, and only because his tone suggested so.

"Au contraire, Sally Jackson, I am exactly that."

Pause.

Silence.

"Yeah right!" I snorted, crossing my arms, "like you could prove it...!"

"I can, Sally Jackson."

I gulped. "Don't let me stop you."

Of course he couldn't do it. I mean….gods? They don't exist anymore. Who said that they exist? There's no proof at all. How can he do it? I was just mocking him, that low-lying liar.

He smiled, as if to imply that he'd read my mind.

And without a warning, he jumped off the pier, and into the water.

I ran over to the edge of the pier, worried about his suicidal behaviour – what was wrong with him?

And then suddenly – he leapt from the sea and landed perfectly on the pier.

Now usually, you may ask what was so I-think-I've-proved-my-point in that, but the fact was that usually people, after such a dive, are exhausted, with their hair glossy and plastered to their heads, sopping wet. Yet Poseidon had just emerged as dry as a desert from the water – his hair as fluffy and dark as before, his strength possibly better and his clothes dry as if he had never jumped at all.

I thought I was about to roll my eyes up and faint.

Yet my mouth was as wide as a torpedo as I stared at him.

"Impressive, huh?" He laughed good-naturedly.

"It's a trick," I whispered. "You're wearing waterproof clothes and a waterproof wig."

How stupid, I thought in my own mind.

He laughed again, sarcastic. "Are you wearing waterproof gear, Sally?"

I shook my head.

And then, oh granny apples, he took my hand and he jumped, having me follow.

I yelled and with a thosh I plopped into the cool water…

Yet I didn't feel wet. I mean I knew the water was cold and really, really…wet, but I myself didn't feel that drenched. I was holding Poseidon's hand tightly, and I was completely dry. I felt my hair, and it was its usual dry, mousy self. Yet how could it be? I looked at him and he was in the same condition. My eyes met his and he was laughing amusedly, bubbling issuing from his mouth.

Breathing underwater?

The nerve! Yet I was intrigued…would I be able to breathe underwater?

"Go on," a bubble sound cheered near my ear. It was Poseidon.

I hesitated, and then exhaled; creating bubbles; held my empty breath….and then took a chance.

I breathed.

Literally; I actually breathed. The air went spinning up my nose, though I was waiting for that tingly itch that you get in your nasal cavity on breathing water. Yet I regulated my breathing as per normal, and it was fine.

"This isn't possible!!" I breathed to him. His smile swept away.

"More proof?" He asked.

I nodded. Like he could prove it.

And he did prove it to me – by letting go of my hand.

And suddenly, my clothes soaked up and my hair wettened; out of the blue, my tee was stuck to my stomach and the shorts clinging to my thighs. My face abruptly moistened and everywhere where I had felt dry, I was now wet. My nose tingled from the quantity of salt water that had spun all the way up.

Amazing. Utterly, absolutely, amazing.

His hands found mine again, and as soon as he held on, an invisible dryer seemed to suck away the dampness – I was as dry as on the pier now.

I stared at him again. "You are Poseidon."

"Of course. Should I ask for proof that you're Sally Jackson?"

I grinned. "No need for that. Proof lies in front of you: ragged, homeless, poor, ugly Sally."

"I don't think you're ugly," he said quietly, staring at me intently.

I sighed. "Don't lie…please. What has ugly Sally done to deserve even to meet someone as….beatific as you?"

"Sally," he swam closer to me and hugged me. "If there is one thing I know," he started, pulling back slightly to look at me, "it's that you are as good as any woman in the world, regardless of your situation. And that I'm not beatific."

"You're a god…" I said.

"I'm the son of Kronos, the evil Titan. I've cheated and gambled and done every rotten thing in my whole entire life, Sally. I can't understand how I could have met someone as brilliant as you."

I blushed, if possible.

"It's a little too early to say our vows…" I sighed.

"Good point,' he laughed.

"Wow. Poseidon. That's a mouthful, do you have a nickname?"

He thought about it. "How about…Possy?"

"Too female."

"Don."

"Too macho."

"Sigh."

"Too depressing."

"Poser."

"Too…." I searched for the word. "Gay." I giggled.

"How about-"

"Seyedone?" I said.

"Seyedone???" He said, shocked.

"S-I-D-O-N."

He considered. "It has a good ring to it."

He laughed, and his laugh exploded in a spurn of bubbles, which formed at his mouth and grew, trailing behind him.

The bubbles formed a towering shape on purpose, and they set into the contours of a horse…

At once, all these animals trailed to him, right at the pier, and he smiled at me.

He was so Poseidon.

The creatures that came to him, however, were half horse and half fish – horse bodies with fishy tails. I was staring at them wide-eyed, and I had gone speechless. What in the world?!?! I didn't know what was happening – gah, first I meet a sea god and then I meet a horse fish thing??

"These are members of my kingdom – Hippocampi."

"Hippocampi? What in the world?" I screeched.

"Well, that's actually plural for a hippocampus. They're mythical creatures, yes I know, but if you can believe gods exist, and then you can believe mythical creatures exist."

"I have my doubts on the Gods part of it," I sniffed.

"Well, I guess you need more proof-" He feinted letting go of my hand.

"No!" I yelled, panicking. "I believe you! I believe you!"

He chuckled mischievously, and decided to use the distraction to load my on to one particular hippocampus, who despite his bizarre status in species, looked quite cute. I burbled a little weirdly, panicking as he loaded me on. He then pushed me forward so where the sadly was meant to be on a horse, that's where I was, as comfortable as ever. He climbed onto the hippocampus' back, sidling to sit right behind me, and he entwined his hand around my waist.

I looked at his hands and blushed; here I was, homeless and poor, and here I was on a mythical creature's back with Poseidon's arms, much less a man's arms, around my waist.

"Don't." He frowned when he said that.

"What – don't what?"

"You keep thinking of how you're homeless and poor, Sally – just chill. It's not that bad."

I smile, and shook my head in return.

"Go." He commanded the hippocampus.

At once, the Hippocampi altogether swiftly surged forward, and I was thrown back into Poseidon. He smiled as my head collided softly with his chest and my mousy brown hair splayed onto him, floating eerily in the water. I could feel him un-tense by the very act.

We waded through the water for a long time it seemed, and the question burned in my mouth-

"It's a secret where we're going," he said. He knew I wouldn't object because I had nowhere to go – the faithful diary was in my pocket and the pen on the collar of my tee. That was the entire luggage I had.

It took some time – if we had gotten any deeper into the sea, I swear my head would have burst under the pressure. But we seemed to sink deeper and deeper, and to my distaste, my head did start to hurt a wee bit.

In the distance, I could see nothing but blue, and yet Poseidon told the Hippocampi to stop. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and revelled in the silence; he seemed to be mediating for a good period of time, before he saddled me closer to him so that his chest and my back were touching. I understood why he did that; for only a moment later, he let go of me from his hands, but I was still touching him so as to not get wet.

He straightened his arms into the blue and flexed his fingers, muttering in Greek.

Then he just held me again, and the Hippocampi started to swim – up, this time.

I had that puzzled look plastered to my face, but he just ran his hands through my hair and then smiled.

The light seemed to lighten the shade of the deep blue water we soared up…now I could see the faint line of an island in the distance. The Hippocampi soared higher and steeper and the water around me seemed to change – it had felt so pure and clean at first, but now, as we soared higher, it had started to feel more concentrated and….saltier. It just seemed to tingle my skin unlike before.

We broke the surface, the Hippocampi squeaking in delight at the sight in front of them.

In front of us rose an island so ancient yet so beautiful, that it was hard to believe that it even existed. The shore was a peachy sandy colour that continued for miles and miles, soon to be blocked by a green paradise of grass and towering palm trees. The place then started off as an elegant ensemble of Greek architecture and the whitewashed walls cleaned innocently under the partly cloudy sky. With an air of oldness and ingenuity, the petite yet brilliantly peaceful quarry seemed to invite me to itself. I could hear a slight bustle from the island – like a tiny paradise market with early visitors…

I turned to him, my face breaking into a smile. He was right behind me so my eyes turned to look at his immediately (and the brilliance of his green ones stunned me). He had crinkles around his eyes because he was smiling, and his large hand slid around my waist, slowly steering my towards my paradise island.

"What is this brilliant place?" I asked him, unable to keep that childish awe out of my voice. Look at the houses! Look at the brilliant grass! I thought these things with great reverence.

He smile at me like it was obvious.

"Really…where are we?" I asked, awestruck again.""

Here, Annabeth gasped and her eyes glinted brilliantly. She tensed, excited, and Grover pleaded her to hurry. What had stopped her?

I commanded her to keep reading or I'd die of anxiety. Why had she gasped like she was awed by what mom was going to say.

Annabeth continued. ""Something stuck me in the way Poseidon smiled so handsomely at me – I caught a bit of his hints. This was somewhere undiscovered by human bounds. Probably somewhere mythical, considering Poseidon's background, and how he just seemed to…blend in with his background here….

"You guessed right," he said. "You're almost there."

With that, he walked onto the sandy shores and trudged forward spreading his arms wide.

"Welcome to Atlantis.""

Silence.

**Are you wondering why Sally can see him now, but not earlier? Well, it is a simple, mythical matter I shall be happy to explain through our hero Poseidon's words next chapter.**

**Next time on Love Struck: Poseidon is sick of Sally being upset over her life, and decides to take her to the Oracle's sister: daughter of another famous greek god. **


	4. It is Thy Time To Declare Thyself

**HA ! Did you think that my summary last time of this chapter was what I'd do? Please people - my writing has an element of surprise!! Thanks for the review ad guys - Sally is OOC because she is only a late teen/in early twenties here. She still has to go through the stage where he leaves her, and then that pregnancy stage, and then that bringing-up-child stage.**

Annabeth was already stunned beyond wonder, and I was just gobsmacked. Atlantis actually existed- and I don't know how I didn't that particular one coming. The greatest underwater myth of all time, and that too my mother had seen.

I turned my eyes to Grover who actually looked like he would pass out.

"G-man?" I asked.

"Yeah," he whispered in a weak voice.

"Whatsup?"

He looked at me pithily and said, "Atlantis was one of the greatest underwater wild places ever created by the gods, namely Poseidon. He gifted some of its life source to Pan, knowing that it would exist forever. But following the Industrial Revolution and sea mining and the black plague – Atlantis was ruined to bits!! What if Pan is dying? What if because Atlantis has been ruined he's been hiding – because he's breathing his last breath?"

"There is sense in that, Grover," Annabeth said soothingly. "But I'm quite sure that Pan survives, because you heard his request only recently. I'm sure he won't disappoint you by appearing in some withered, fading form."

Grover wasn't at all reassured, but he looked calmer because he trusted in Pan not to let him down. I decided it was time to change the subject.

"I'd like to go to Atlantis one day."

"Oh me too!" Annabeth squealed. "You're mother can describe well – I really want to go study the actual ancient Greek architecture and the surviving capacity of such an ancient island, which was originally underwater!!"

"My dad knows how to think: he got the island above water. That's way too cool."

"Yes, yes it is." She smiled at me. "And maybe one day it will be yours."

"I was thinking the same thing," Grover said. "You are an indirect owner of it too…so you can claim it if you want to, and then we can rebuild it…."

It sounded good, yet I said nothing.

"Now I really want to read on…" Annabeth whimpered. "But it's time for our weekend activities."

On getting to the breakfast tables where the rest of the campers had been lounging, talking and waxing shields, sharpening swords, we sat down on a log around the fire and rest a while before Chiron came to us.

"The war will start soon – I can feel it. It's a weird buzzing in my blood…"

"Well," I started. "I know Luke is trying to revive Kronos…so isn't that what he'll do first?"

"Yet, it just seems so expected that he should come here first and destroy the tools of the gods."

"Relax," one of the handsome boys from Apollo cabin came over to us and smiled. "Chiron – you should calm down a little already. I know that there won't be a war this year."

"Thank you Anthony, but 'this year' isn't exactly reassuring." Chiron sighed miserably.

"Sir, my father is the god of the prophecies, and you can't trust me?"

"There, there, now." Chiron chuckled. He walked away with Anthony to talk on more.

"You know, there's nothing much to do right now," Annabeth sighed. "I feel a little weird that way, because I know that I'm really worried, yet I feel so helpless."

"We should enjoy this time," Grover sighed. "May be all we have before the war."

"Well, I just can't stop thinking about the diary. It's so beautifully written, and I really feel like reading more," Annabeth whined.

"Well what are me waiting for?" I said getting up. The feelings were mutual.

Grover grumbled something about "love" and "Hunters" but I pretended to ignore him, and it wasn't hard seeing as Sally's diary had taken me half way there.

Annabeth fervently flipped through the pages and found the bit she was at from tracing it with her fingers. She smiled, and moving her legs excitedly, she started to read with a dramatic, narrative voice.

"Dear Diary,

Should I read this is a few years, I'm sorry future Sally – I couldn't help it!! Atlantis is too amazing for me to even remember yet talk about even!! It was such a beautiful place and I was stunned at the architecture, and I didn't want to make notes for my diary at all. Not at all. I was too stunned to notice it.

Lying here, on this bed, I really can't remember everything about Atlantis-

I remember the whitewashed walls glimmering under the sun. It looked exactly like Hawaii and Malta combined, and the innards of the city were clean and paved well with ancient mosaic tiles. The whole place was too blue – and it was in all sorts of blues – azure walkways, baby blue marketplace walls, and though the outside of the city was white, inside was blue and blue and nothing but blue – and right at the middle of the place was a huge winding stream with a petite chocolate brown log bridge over it. I remember seeing all sorts of exotic seaweed plants and underwater cacti plants everywhere – unrestrained, or potted, and they were still robust and full of lustre as they stood majestically, most standing limply since underwater, they were used to swimming like stalagmites.

The people were very different – though they walked erect, disguising themselves as humans dressed eccentrically in Greek clothes, I could see that they were of all sorts – mermaids, Hippocampi, sea snake-women and other beautifully gorgeous things. This was Poseidon's land.

I remember walking around, and I remember seeing everything everywhere – Atlantis was too mythical to talk about – how can I talk of it? Can such a ting even be explained?

Choose your most blue, most exotic under water unique Greek village. Then design it with the most deep-blue-sea accessories you have ever imagined. It was twice as beautiful as that.

I'm under a blue blanket on a nice, big bed, and right to the right of my bed is another one, where Poseidon is sitting, his reading glasses hooked on his nose and his lamp light reflecting light onto his thick novel. I think he was reading Tuck Everlasting, but who knows. I can quote word by word his comments just a few moments ago on our talk.

"So," he started, sitting on my bed and smiling at me. "What do you think of Atlantis?"

I couldn't tell him how much it meant to me, him bringing me here. Atlantis had been…off the hook!! It had been amazingly fantabulously fantastical, amazing, brilliant, awesome, remarkable, splendid, grand, overwhelmingly astounding, marvellous, and fulfilling and most breathtaking!! How could I possibly tell him all that?

I really didn't know how to phrase it, so I did the most unexpected thing; I jumped to my feet on the bed, ran to him, and hugged him around the neck as hard and as passionately as I could.

He seemed stunned, but he intertwined his large yet soft arms around me too.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it," he grinned at me, placing me onto his lap and ruffling my hair.

"I can't explain it – it was…it was…"

"Don't say anything, I know what you mean."

I thanked him silently and smiled too.

"One thing, though, Sidon," I started, a little confused now. "The first time I met you, I couldn't see you for who you were, but the next day I was able to. How come?"

"Well," he mused. "The first time I met you, I transformed myself into a human so that I could touch you without giving you a tingly feeling on your skin – the effect of most gods on mortals. There I was actually human, yet on the beach, I appeared to you after in my true self, and I let the Mist cover me."

"Ahhhhhh," I said, as if from an epiphany. "What is the Mist though? You never explain it too well."

"Well, if any magical disturbance appears around mortals, the Mist is instantly brought with it, and it disguises the magic to put another illusion in human minds, seeing as we want our secret world so well protected."

I kind of got the gist of it.

"Sally," he said, a little distracted.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Do you believe in love and first sight?"

I was stunned for a moment, He was asking me, and he was sort of suggesting that the girl might have been…well…me. But what would I say? What could I say? A girl without experience, what could she say?

"I think love has become a much downgraded thing," I started. "It's lost nearly all of its truest meaning which was definite at first. But I believe that true love is there for those who want to find it, which can experience it. It is a force ready to envelop anyone who sets their mind to it. True love is a seriously rare thing but love at first sight even rarer. I guess "sight' implies to looks, so that's not entirely the most "true love" thing you should be with someone for. I think it's the deepest, most unpredictable quality that you must treasure, and use it to rely on the person you love. Why do you ask?"

"Aphrodite said to me once," he smiled, "that my path of love will be long winded and rocky. I have already separated and gotten together with so many women – I have had fifty five children in real life, yet as she told me, I have not found true love, until now. She told me that my love would be directed towards a clear sighted mortal, and ever since I have met you, I have felt a different type of love for you. I believe it is true love."

I blushed.

"But the thing is – I'm completely plain. I've been with you for like three days now. How can you find love at first sight in….me?"

"Well that's the thing," he said, excited, on his knees. "I don't know whether I like you or love you, and its just this weird tingling in my heart."

How weird. That's exactly how I feel thinking of him.

"Ditto," I told him. "Even I like you," I said, blushing heavily.

"Well," he said. "It's a little too early in the stage, but I was thinking, since you don't have a place and I just wander about, do you want to-"

He paused, and frowned.

"Come with you…?" I finished the sentence for him.

He shook his head, and immediately, my heart turned to lead and dropped to my disturbed bowels.

"It's too dangerous for you." He frowned again. "Should there be an emergency, it would be putting you in grave danger."

"This is so cliché!" I yelled, getting up and walking about. "The hero of my life just takes me to a mythical underwater paradise island, makes me the happiest person I've been before, and so we decided that my being around him is dangerous? Don't you realise? I have seen these monsters you're worried about! I have passed them! They ignore me unless I talk to them! I am safe against them because I am human – they can't harm me, because I am too insignificant!"

He sighed, "Yet I'm not insignificant. They will find me and you too."

"And do you not have your other two powerful brothers who WILL step down to help you? Are you not as powerful as your father? Are not most the other gods derived from your family roots, and you being the oldest ones of them all?"

He shook his head, "but I have forms even I would not want you to see. It is only best that we are not seen each other."

"Because it is dangerous??" I yelled, flabbergasted.

"Yes."

"Don't you get it? You're in love!! Are you going to thro me away?"

What was I saying???

"Of course not!" He fired up. "I love you and don't want to see you hurt at all – however abnormal it may sound right now."

"You like me as a friend, yet you're ready to through the only true friend you have at the moment??"

"I'm not throwing you away!! I'll tell Aphrodite to give you a soul mate!"

"Will that give you peace, knowing that you lost a good friend just because of an assumption that's he was too fragile to be with? I've heard of this before – I was once friends with a girl called Stephenie Meyer who's had this idea in her head of the exact same thing!!"

"At least you'll be safe! I care about if you're alive – I acted foolishly, bringing you to my world, and I only did so because of my heart!!"

"And I know your heart is in the right place, Poseidon, but now you're listening to your buffed up head!"

"My head is not buffed up!!" He went red.

"It is a figure of speech you idiot!!" I was screaming, really.

"Great- so now I'm an idiot for not knowing that and wanting to keep you safe!!"

"STOP BICKERING!" I yelled. "Shut up! You don't even know what you're saying, and you're letting your mind take over your heart!! Why do you want me gone?? Am I that bad??"

"I love you!" he yelled. "I love you and I know it, and you are not at all bad, Sally Jackson!"

"Well, letting love get between your presumptions and true emotions isn't right-"

"Aphrodite says the same things – and yet her advice is too meaningless!!"

"Call me Aphrodite then!"

"You're better than her okay? Don't compare yourself!! Stop whining!"

"Stop bickering!"

"I would if you could just understand that I don't want to leave you to the mercy of the raw outside WORLD!"

"AND I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE ONLY ONE I'VE EVER LOVED LIKE REALLY IN MY LIFE!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THI-"

Mid yell, I felt tender lips pressing themselves gently into mine, their dry softness caressing mine slowly and deliberately – and then the wet, yummy skin brushing mine. The pressure was so activating – instantly, my eyes closed of their own accord and I squeezed the lips back, not knowing what I was doing. He had started it. A tear rolled down my face and landed on the floor, forgotten. I only thought of this sensation pulsating so strongly through my body-

He put is arms around me in a soft yet tight bear hug, that didn't allow me to move. He hugged me harder and his lips pushed forward with more pressure, as if each move he made was fuelled by his incomprehensible love for me.

I was breathing heavily, moving mine now – this way, then that way, until he held my face straight and took it one level forward – tongues.

I was lost in bliss, surprise and love. My heart pumped erratically, not only blood circulating around my body, but now a new type of serum – that one of commitment and heavy, sugary worship.

He let go of me, lip sand all, and hugged me as tight as he could, laying his head on top of my brown, curly hair, and he snuggled his head inside them, like he was holding on to me like I was the last thing he had.

And now, I could perfectly see him on his bed, determined not to look my way. He was deliberately counting on the "silent treatment" to repel me, and only so that I could go back home and be safe.

I couldn't help it diary. I went right to him, held his hand, blushing, and did the last thing I wanted to.

"Thanks," I said, sniffling.

"For what," he said, with a poker face and a strained voice.

"For giving me the only teenage experience I've ever gotten. Thanks you're the first to kiss me."

"Likewise."

That was quite surprising. Never been kissed by a girl?

I sighed. "Sorry for getting overboard over something so trite. But I can help you."

"I don't see how."

"We'll figure that out-" I giggled.

He looked at me, the corners of his mouth twisting up. His expression softened.

"You're really beautiful when you giggle." It made me blush.

"You're so pretty you won't even believe it yourself." He kept on staring at me.

I looked at him shiftily. "Well, I can't complement you because you're beyond awesome. You're hot, you're gorgeous, and you have a personality that amazes me,"

"Likewise," he laughed. "When I met you, ragged and worn, your attitude took me by surprise, and I was so thrilled to see someone like you – someone I hadn't met in years in years. There's hardly anyone in the world as Sally-ish as you."

There was a pause in which I smiled.

"Sally, why don't you come sleep here? It is late, and yet it will get cold because of the sea breeze, and you might fall sick."

"Okay," I said, and even though I knew he didn't mean it in the dodgy sense, I went to him, with my quilt and sat down.

That is where I had asked him for a moment, and I had gone to my bed while he read again, and I wrote all this down.

I refuse to show this to him even though he's asking me for it. I can't – it's the locker of my heart, and I won't let it loose, not even to him.

The last thing I wanted to say before I close the diary to go sleep next to my new God love: a kiss from the heavens was my first and best kiss ever, and I don't think any other sign of love can match how much his lips on mine mean to me."

Annabeth closed the diary page, and flipped back to the beginning, and that same picture of Poseidon with Sally glimmered in the afternoon light. They looked so happy.

"They're in Atlantis," she pointed out some seaweed pots and a tiny stream with a bridge in the background. It looked so tropical; I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it.

"This explains my mom's entire blue craze," I said, my voice cracking from how much I wanted to cry because of the way Annabeth had expressed my mom's emotions. "The blue is a memoir to her of the time she went to Atlantis. That's why she's so obsessed with blue."

"I think I'm about to cry!!" sniffled Grover.

"Don't!!" Annabeth and I both patted Grover, though the two of us were channelling his emotions, and were already feeling the same giddiness after reading all that.

"There is just so much love in the world!!" Grover sniffled again. "I wish I knew my parents' first meeting."

"Me too, with my parents of course," Annabeth added.

"I really think mom should do well as a novelist," I commented. She really would earn big, and maybe we could live in some fancy place where she'll be known."

"Your mom knows how to write really well," Grover said. "I'd love to read her books."

"And though I'm dyslexic," Annabeth started, "I can read your mother's stuff easily, because it connects to me, and I'd too be excited to read her books!!"

"I still think it was a pretty short entry," I said.

"The diary entry? Yeah it was. But that's only due to the fact that she couldn't write much. She must have been speechless from the visit to Atlantis. I would have been," Grover smiled at me.

Annabeth, instead of commenting, flipped to that same diary entry, which had ended perfectly on the right-hand side page. She flipped that over to show some black, rough writing: some diagrams of eyes, glazed, and gorgeous tridents-

And a poem.

My mother wrote poems???

This time, I wasn't dyslexic enough to not comprehend what was written; in fact, I read without pause or problem the beautiful poem she had written:

_"To throw away life seems like such a waste_

_Even to those of the worst luck, the meanest taste_

_Because in every chance lies an opportunity;_

_Just learn to seize it, and trust your immunity._

_His green eyes materialize in my sight;_

_Every moment, every second, every night;_

_His arms are always around me, and I feel home-_

_I've never felt such love; I could run from Manhattan to Rome._

_The ecstasy that paralyses me on his touch;_

_The electricity that jolts my sinews is too much._

_His feelings are likewise, as mutual-_

_Like Aphrodite is putting upon us a ritual._

_There were moments where I could sense a dream;_

_The ridiculity of it all, the nonsense, the tip of the dream cream._

_Yet I choose to live a dream, have it never sever,_

_The love I have for him, let it be there forever;_

_I pray to you fate, thank you for this opening…_

_I hope in my destiny, you see our love ripening."_

I sort of thought it wasn't all that brilliant, but it had so much feeling in it; I could help but be touched by it. And I was Percy Jackson, a boy, and it was touching me. This was an occasion.

I left Annabeth and Grover to go to their cabins to mop up for themselves – their eyes were bloodshot and wet. I was left alone with the fluffy pink diary.

I leant back and landed on my back on the springy grass, only to stare full int the face the pleasant blue sky, azure blue and clear. I could almost see through it my imaginary view of my dad, almost as if he were reading her diary over my shoulder, from way, WAY high up.

What would it be like if I read his diary?

_Should_ I read his diary? Sure, I wouldn't know where to start-

No. My dad's views would be too Poseidon-like. I wanted to know my mother more, as she was _really_ the actual parents who had looked after me so carefully all my life.

I hope, if she ever finds out that I have her diary, she won't get mad. All I want to do is to know her, consequently attached to my quest of getting to know my _father_ better.

**Thanks again!! Hope you liked it!! Review~!**


	5. The Gods Must Be Crazy

**Thanks to all my reviewers, and favouriters. Please review more! I really appreciate you guys, and thank you for giving me an incentive to write on. I hope this is good.**

**This chapter is a little floppy :( but important.**

**Thanks to: **

**Wendi :], Nicobeth Annico (**by the way, the penname is an awesome fanfic idea**), Sally J, Paul/ Rick's Minion, daughterofartemis, Sticks., bluewaffles621, filmyfurry, europ92, paintsellers and Godess of Beauty!! latter: you are Aphrodite. lol!! Haha!! I love these reviewers!!**

**have fun reading :)**

At dinner, Grover sat with me at the table, and we munched happily on our Russian subs. Chiron and Anthony were chatting animatedly with each other, and Annabeth was conversing with Malcolm on the other side. All the tables were humming with chatter and fear both. This was one of the first nights where we were actually having fun.

The Apollo cabin once again led the sing-along by the fire, and this time, even I wanted to join in. Maybe it was because of my newfound connection with my mother, and all her heart's secrets pouring into mine that I wanted to sing too. I persuaded Annabeth to join in, and even she felt like it. Grover looked shifty, but he too wanted to sing along with Apollo, for the first time ever.

Apollo cabin today decided that the same old Greek songs were very old and repeated. Anthony and his fellow cousins were singing some Greek nightingale half-heartedly, even stopping with boredom halfway through it.

There were giggles coming from the Athena cabin, and a few of the girls started to hum some songs to themselves, together, one of which I realized was very familiar….

"_Greenday_?" asked a voice behind me.

I turned around to see Thalia perched on a log nearby, to my left, and she was staring at the Athenians with round eyes.

"You like the band, right." I posed the question to her tentatively. For the past week, she and I were too shy to talk to each other. She nodded her head.

Thalia screaming "Greenday" out and the girls humming the tune caught everybody's attention.

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams?" Chiron ejaculated. "I love that song!!"

We looked at each other. Annabeth was tapping her toe. Apollo and Athena started to sing together, remembering the words to the popular song....

"_I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone_"

I remembered the same song from long back, which my mom used to play in the car. Greenday used to be here favourite in those days, and she used to hum American Idiot quite nicely. I chuckled at the memory, and I joined in with the, singing the best I could, surprisingly finding Grover and Annabeth to keep me company with humming:

"_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams…._"

I jumped at the sound of a gruffly pleasant voice melodiously singing along, and my eyes flitted to Thalia's figure. Her lips were upturned in a smile and she was tapping her foot, and singing along.

Soon enough, the whole camp started to sing, because everyone new the words to Greenday.

"_Where the city sleeps  
and I'm the only one and I walk alone_

_I walk alone  
I walk alone_

_I walk alone  
I walk a..._

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

_Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,  
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah"_

We laughed at that bit because that sing-along had been so much fun. Even Thalia was giggling, and people were glancing at her; she was usually moody and bossy and mean, and seeing her smile and have fun was like seeing Clarisse cry; it was so unexpected, yet pleasant.

The song ended, and everyone clapped; the three of us joined in. There was much chatter and people were talking about Greenday all over.

Calming down after a while, we found that us campers had a lot of music in common – everyone joined in together to sing with great fervour. Anthony played the lyre as we sang Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T's, which was such a perfect camp song. To many giggles, a nearby male dryad started to sing Kumbaya, and we all laughed at that random selection. Some Aries kid started Alfie by Lily Allen and we sang to that.

Before the night was up, we had sung Yellow by Coldplay, Irreplaceable by Beyonce, Back in Black by ACDC (that was a terrible one), Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake, Far Away by Nickelback (by this time, I was looking dreamily at Annabeth), Love etc by Pet Shop Boys and then we made up some songs – a girl from the Apollo cabin called Katy Perry, 16, who dressed really weirdly in colourful and animated clothes made up this cool song called "Hot n Cold" by the campfire, with amusing lyrics so funny that we all sang and laughed with her.

Lying by myself in the cabin, I listened to the sound of silence, punctuated by owl screeches or the bubbling of the water fountain in my cabin. I breathed and deciding that it was too lonesome and boring, I put on the lamplight and took out my father's diary.

Page after page I flipped, yet no name "Sally" popped out. I saw some of his appointments with mortals and his opinions on them, yet it was until the middle that I found something of interest.

It was a loose piece of paper, and it was crumpled up slightly. It caught my attention because it was written in brilliant writing, and it seemed really beautiful. The paper started to tingle my fingers, and before I new it, the words were imprinted in my eyes, as if they were hurtling into my brain, being absorbed, determined to show me the message….

My eyes blinked, and when I opened them, the room swayed, whirled around in abstract, and then positioned itself right in another scene.

Out of the window, the view of the earth made my stomach churn; we were terribly high up. Planes flying at their highest looked so tiny from here, and I turned around, at the sound that echoes behind me.

Poseidon was pacing the area, his Greek sandals making soft sounds on contact with the floor. He was pacing around a door and he seemed about to knock on it, when it opened right before his fist touched it.

At the door, standing like a supermodel or an actress posing, was someone so beautiful, she dazzled my eyes.

I didn't know what to say.

Her eyes were like a pool of fresh mountain water, bubbling cheerfully, and her scent was of lavender and rose. Her skin was pale and well toned, contrasting with the long waterfall of dark hair that slid down her face, framing it, onto her shoulders, and to her hips. Her lips were round and red, and upturned in a smile. Her neck was feminine and it met the strapless collar of a long, blue dress, which shaped around her bust, and it tightened at the waist, then flared out with fashion. Her long arms were carefully balanced on her hips and she was looking at my dad with a hungry look in her eyes.

Yet her form looked very temporary, as if the next time anybody would see her, they would have forgotten they had ever met her, their memory would be blank from their meeting with her.

But my dad didn't step back at the intensity with which the purest beauty was staring at him.

The woman moved flat, and allowed him inside.

I entered too, to see what was on.

"Poseidon," she alleged, her voice velvety at overflowing with beauty.

"Aphrodite," my father nodded to her. "It has been long."

"Very long," she agreed. "The last time we met was at the fiftieth Olympian Winter Solstice of the West."

"Good times," my father grinned shiftily.

"What bring thee here, my dear God of the Sea?"

Poseidon flinched.

"I have been searching long for true love, and it seems like an endless quest. I thought that thy prediction would have come true, yet my time has not come."

"Thou have been very impatient, dear Poseidon," she smiled, sitting gently on the couch. "Might I remind you that even great Ouranos' quest for love was one of great time, and thou has to be patient to have thy time come."

"Do not compare me to my grandfather!" Poseidon tensed.

"Thou should control thy anger, dear God."

Poseidon stopped, and then turned to her shamefaced.

"I don't know what to do. There is a great prophecy I have heard, of a son of the Big Three, born through labour, who will be the symbol of the gods thousands of years from now! I need to know the woman with who I shall fall in love with so madly that she and I will give her a child of true seed, one that will be born how normal mortal children are. I need to know that woman for he shall be the queen of my heart, and the result of true love! I cannot wait!" He seemed so frustrated!!

"Calm, dear god." Aphrodite soothed him. "Even Apollo is not sure of his Oracle's prediction. He cannot be sure. And thou has sealed a pact to not have anymore children, yet you still seek it? Shame, Poseidon, shame!"

Poseidon sat down. "I want the child of the prophecy to be mine. I want him to prove himself to me. The disappointment shall not stay within my 55 child litter, but I shall have one child to prove the Lord of the Sea something. I want that prophetic child to be mine, because it has been a long wait – and I shall prove to my rising father, who I was the least favourite of, how to trust a son, and how to raise him and how prove a well-raised son can make you – I will prove to him that his least favourite's boy will teach him a lesson he will never forget!!"

Aphrodite's face hardened, and her eyes grew wider in curiosity.

"Thy fire is well fuelled. Very well, Poseidon, must I warn thee, that if thou should break thy treaty, thou will be treading amongst treacherous waters from which thy brothers may never forgive thee. In fact, it could be that if thou finds thy true love, and gets thee a child, it will by the breaking of the treaty that could even start the war betwixt the Titans and Gods once more. And the person to start this war….will be thy child, Poseidon. How does that make thee feel?"

Poseidon looked into her eyes and frowned.

"Thou has sense."

"The Goddess of Love believes in reason, dear sea lord."

"But love? Years I have pined, searched, looked everywhere for true love! And I can't find a trace of it in this barren planet which I know every nook and cranny of!"

Aphrodite smiled. "Thou believe in love only a little less than me. What a compliment to thee it is, dear lord."

"I require thy assistance, Aphrodite, goddess of love. If thou can help me, do."

"I will tell thee this, dear lord," she said, smiling. "Thou have been one of my favourite of the three – and I will not make thy love life easy. See, I love a good tragedy, and I will never tell thee how or where thou will meet the woman who's labour child will be the prophetic one, but I will tell thee that thou will find her in the time of two hundred at seventy nine years from now, and she will be in love with thee too."

"But do not rest," she continued. "Do not rest Lord Poseidon, God of sea, for only by search will thou find her, your true love."

"How do I know she is so? My true love? For all the women I have indulged in, how do I know if she is any better?"

Aphrodite caressed Poseidon's cheek, and held his chin. She looked at his crumpled face full fledged; the hungry look was back in her eyes.

"Listen to thy heart, and it shall tell thee when thy time will come…

Her voice faded away, and the scene misted over; it took me by surprise, and I tried to take one last glance of the gorgeous Aphrodite and my father…..

The scene was fogging over completely. The white mist trailed in and covered the whole scene, and all I heard was the echo of her last quote, slowly fading away into the misty din, as one last reminder, I felt a jolt; Aphrodite had closed her eyes…..I could feel it….thou I couldn't see anything but white….and as she had closed her eyes, Poseidon had seen the same fog, the same mist, and a misty white outline, slightly coloured; it was a picture, a picture of a ragged girl with a blurred face, blurred body, her mousy brown hair tumbling gracefully from her face down….

I snapped back, and the darkness filled me again/ I had been sitting up for god knows how long on my bunk; my back was stiff and sore from sitting up straight, and I was staring right at the bunks on the other side, enveloped by darkness.

I heaved a great breath; had that been a trance? A memory? What had it been?

I looked down at the paper in the lamplight, and I stared at it.

There was written word to word what had happened, in startling black gel pen ink, and as soon as I had touched the paper, it had somehow sunk its words into me, and I had a vision of what had happened when he had written that letter.

I breathed more, conscious of every cell in my body. I new there was something new about this paper…

Then it ticked. I remember my mom writing something of this sort a long while back, when I was little; I remember her accidentally writing out the poem she had written for me in it, and I had picked it up, only to have the writing do a similar thing to my eyes. I remember the poem coming alive, literally, in my sight and how it had danced in my vision, the scenes so perfectly captured and projected....

I hugged the piece of paper, lost in my father's pleas for true love. How weird it was, I mean I was a normal kid teenage boy, and I was reading…love stories??

Yet this time, the knot in my stomach told me that it wasn't just any love story; it was a fantastical tale.

If any morning could come faster, it was this one. The light just materialized as soon as my head had hit the pillow. I groaned as Grover came to drag me out of bed by one leg. Surprisingly, I found myself completely awake, not even tired, as if that trance during the night had supplied me with rest and sleep too.

The day didn't offer many chances to read the diary, even though Grover, surprisingly, was doing all to clear our schedule. Instead, we had duty with Beckendorf with his technological advancement, so I helped him polishing and assembling various instruments. I knew that I was pretty hopeless with all this brilliant stuff Hephaestus' cabin built, but Beckendorf's power supply was hydroelectric, to fuel the furnaces and etc. He got a huge thrill, as he produced twice as much in the same time period as usual, because I was turning the turbines with my water supply. Annabeth was out with her fellow cabin mates with Chiron planning on defensive strategies, and designing more war moves.

Grover, finding nothing to do with Beckendorf, wandered off with the other satyrs, who were today making a new reed pipe song: the one of momentary dazedness.

I loved playing with the water; it was home turf and I felt so strong using it. I also could feel a connection to my father that way…

Knowing my father wanted me to be the child of the prophecy was very controversial. What would I do? Why me? Why me to do all these things?

I knew I had to make him proud. I knew that somehow, I had to win.

And I hardly stood a chance.

*********O****************

The evening brought us an unexpected surprise.

We were all having dinner at the tables, as per usual. Today, we crunched on pizza-bagels and apple crumble. It was delicious, as per usual, and I sat at my own table, eating in silence, and I watched Thalia do the same on her table.

She sat like a punk, comfortably, eating gracefully but scarily. Her charcoaled eyes scanned the area, and whenever she looked at her pine tree, she grimaced even more. She was over the Greenday show now, and was attacking her apple crumble unappreciatedly.

There was an arm wrestling contest underway at the Hephaestus table, and by the sound of the cheers, Beckendorf was pulverizing everyone.

My thoughts settled around where Clarisse had disappeared off to. Then I saw Annabeth immersed in conversation at her table. My eyes flitted to the Hermes one, where pretty much everyone was bored.

All of a sudden, a burbling sound started to be heard, and it grew, and all conversation simmered to hear it.

The burbling sound was one of a stream, underway a huge rapids course.

We looked around, particularly me, and I spotted the creek's water starting to froth and bubble and grow treacherous. Then, my head turned to the sea, and I spotted the waves grow higher and higher, as if preparing to launch on the camp like a tsunami. They frothed and creamed, and they towered above the scared beach animal. The pegasi were whinnying like crazy, and they were kicking the wooden doors.

The waters around had gone crazy, and it wasn't my fault.

From across, I saw Thalia get out and draw a huge, scary spear, and crouch, pointing it towards the dragon that guarded her pine tree, and then the woods, and then the Big House. Her eyes flit everywhere, looking. Hephaestus' children readied their retractable swords in response, as they too had heard something.

Later, I saw a figure materialize right next to that pine tree, and the dragon roared.

"Aghhhhh!!" yelled the visitor. "Get him off me! Offa me!!"

The voice was too familiar.

"Dad!" a kid at the Hermes cabin said.

"Raphael…heel! I'm coming!"

"Heel, dear dragon, heel!" commanded Chiron, galloping to Hermes and staring at the dragon with a stern eye. The dragon immediately bent, and went back to rest.

Hermes and Chiron walked up the hill, both panting, and Hermes was stricken.

"Father!" One of the older boys went to him.

"Leonardo," Hermes hugged his son, and sat down on a long.

"Oh dearie me, I don't know where to start – you see, the seas have gone wild."

"Yes, we just found out. Tell us why Hermes." The owner of the voice walked into the mumbo jumbo; it was a pot bellied Dionysus, with his usual drawl and his glass of wine.

"The Lord of the Seas has spiked a new rage, and the water churns as a part of his body. You see, a possession of his has been stolen."

Everyone breathed in, and I could feel eyes on me.

"Was it important?" Chiron asked.

"Heck it was important!" Dionysus rolled his eyes. "If our dear god decides to churn up the seas everywhere then of course it must be important!"

"What is it?" asked Annabeth, her voice quavering with a little guilt.

"I cannot say," Hermes shook his head. "It is a treasured file of his, and even he is no able to disclose whatever it was. Yet today, of all days, he seemed to have need of it, so he went to fetch it and came back empty handed."

"He caused quite a tantrum," Hermes continued. "He was angry to see it go. All he asked for was a blue book with his name on it."

"A blue book?" squeaked Grover. All eyes fell on him.

"Why? You make something of it, satyr?" Dionysus eyed the paling satyr.

"N-No sir, n-not at all. H-Haven't seen it."

Dionysus eyed him, and Grover just whitened, like a sheet. Trust him to ruin the moment,

"So what happens now?" I asked Hermes.

He eyed me significantly.

"He will calm down, considering Zeus would not want the seas to cause deaths. He will probably put posters in Olympus for a very loaded reward should someone find it…." His eyes glinted at the thought, and for a moment, the Hermes in his eyes disappeared, and then returned.

"At least we know the cause of this upheaval," Chiron gazed at the unsteady sea. "It must be that important to him, this blue book that its disappearance has caused the Sea Lord to become tempered."

Hermes sighed. "Until it is found," he glanced at me. "We must hope that we should never cross Poseidon's path for the time period his anger lasts."

We all nodded, and then Hermes turned around to disappear.

Before going, he halted, and then faced me.

"Oh and Percy," he said, my heart jolting. "Your father sends his regards. Do what is right."

Then he just vaporized in a wisp of smoke.

--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--

The camp was burbling with talk that night, and we all headed back to the cabins.

I lay in my lonesome bed, and hummed to myself.

I felt sorry for myself, and it felt nice knowing that dad still cared for his diary – which was in my hands.

Calm down, dad, I thought, I have it, and as soon as I know who you are, I will give it back.

**Thanks again!! Hope you liked it!! Review~!**


	6. One Love, For the Brother's Pride

**I don't think I can do justice apologizing. I'm sick of my own distraction. I'm just really sorry that I haven't updated in so effing long......you might have not heard, but I'm in 10th Grade, and in India, the end of 10th Grade, you have these life-dependant exams that every uni looks at before admitting you. So if I stuff up, I'm basically dead, because I really want to be either a microbiologist, surgeon, diagnostician or a paedatrician. My alternatives are journalism and writing and music.**

**So if you have any ideas for this increasingly crappy story, do tell me.....any moments with Poseidon & Sally?**

**x Ash x**

**Nothing's mine!**

The sea really didn't get any better. Dionysus didn't even kid me today. I almost got Percy Jackson by him. Everybody was now giving my furtive glances as if it was my entire fault, and I didn't mind much of it, but it really got annoying after a week or so. I mean, what could _I_ do? Who was _I_? _Can I really go up to dad and say "Daddy, Cwawisse is annoying me. Pwease bwow some water at her!"_

The week hadn't been pleasant. My time had trickled away on the edge of the beach, consoling the ravenous waters; I needed to calm the beach, to calm my father.

And the dream didn't help.

That night's dream had been my first one of the gods. I couldn't come to believe it myself.

The golden, marbled doors banged open with such force, that Zeus, the weathered god on his couch writing a note with his quill, reading glasses hooked on his nose, winced, as his ink bottle toppled to the floor and stained the exquisite beige carpet. He looked threateningly towards the unkindly visitor, and his face released its stretched position.

The man walking down was fuming, his anger knew no limits – even his Bermuda shorts had a slightly singed air about them, and his hair was quivering in anger. The trident in his hand glowed a dangerous green and it sparked every second or so; each time the base of the six foot trident touched the carpet, it scorched a black hole into it.

"If you weren't my brother," Zeus smirked, "I would have believed you were also a god of the sky. Please control the electric burning."

"Days!" roared Poseidon. "It has been days and I haven't found a single inkling or symbol of that wretched book. What is it I can do? My anger knows no bounds at all! You promised me we would find it!"

"I never promised, nor hinted, brother." Zeus' amusement rang in every syllable of his dialogue. "I merely told you that I would alert my emergency men: Triton, your son, messenger; Caerus, god of luck and opportunity; Elpis, of hope and expectation, and all the river gods and wind gods I could call. Even Iris shall look out. With such a force, I doubt your precious book's whereabouts will be neglected," his voice sang in malice and evil brotherhood.

"Lies! I have laid my trust in your sorry hands, brother!"

"Calm, Poseidon." Authority coloured each and every sound of Zeus'. "Do not fret, as my messengers never return empty handed. They shall scour the barren planet; they will seek out every hidden nook to find your petty _diary_."

"It was not only a diary-" Poseidon was ready to kill. "It was a book of my meetings, my most cherished powers and it was each and everything I was willing to pass on to my very _son_."

"How _touching_, brother," Zeus invoked sarcastically. "I am sure my _nephew_ would have treasured it with heart."

"Such is your impudence, Zeus," Poseidon spat. "Your worthless bolt's value could not match the one of my chronicle – and I'm sure you realize how important your trivial bolt was to you."

"A comeback worthy of Athena," Zeus snorted, cynicism his best friend in the decree. "But calm, your diary will be found."

Poseidon sighed, his face weary and his voice hoarse. For a moment, his expression mimicked his inconsiderable age, and at that very moment, his face's every spot of acne or sign of wrinkle reflected the knowledge and sights he had seen in his eons of existence. He looked crippled, old and so hopeless, Zeus' face softened at the sight.

"I know why you loved that diary, Poseidon, and I know how upset you are, being so depressed at the fact that the journal of all your hopes, dreams and memories of that woman have been washed away at a simple careless misplacement-"

Poseidon did the last thing ever expected of him.

His eyes glazed, and then a tear broke their firmness, and it rolled down.

"That wasn't all," he whispered, Zeus looking almost scared now. "It was everything to me. Sally was all I had and treasured that I couldn't afford to lose. And the worst part is, if of all people either she or Percy has it, I won't mind, but I'd tell them this isn't right – but I find no comfort in imagining that, because neither Sally nor Percy would steal it, of that I'm sure."

Zeus shook his head. "I may be the last person to say this, but you need to trust all at the moment."

Poseidon collected himself, and looked at Zeus' document. His eyes narrowed.

"Pathetic. No wonder Thalia never loved you."

With a final scorch of the carpet, Poseidon left behind a befuddled Zeus, and walk out the doors in a flash and the sound of his footsteps diffused into the air…

My dream transformed to other flashes of stuff I never loved to think about in normal circumstances. I just let the warm feeling overtake me, and soon enough, I was out completely.

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Thick, viscous pools of light broke through the window frame and blinded my eyes. I couldn't see much anyways, but it was always a bad idea to sleep in – as I knew I had done now – because the terrifying sun tended to burn into your eyes until you got the lesson.

Hmph. Apollo probably.

I got ready in no time – showering, grooming and dressing. That was it. I hated slumbering like this, it made me all sloppy and lazy. That would make me all moody throughout the day.

It was really sunny.

But breakfast was still in full swing. Shutting the door, I hurried off to the tables and got myself some food – or whatever there was left. I sniffed precariously, as if afraid of catching scent of something bad – and grinned. Oh goody – roast potatoes, and noodles.

After giving some of the food to the little fire, I did a good job scarfing down all the food I could lay my hands on – what can I say? I was hungry! Grover wasn't anywhere near the dining pavilion, and I could see Annabeth and Malcolm laughing at the Athena table away from me. Annabeth didn't even look over.

I looked around and found myself staring with wide eyes at Thalia, alone at the Zeus table. She stabbed the potatoes with her fork as if puncturing the heart of an enemy and evilly shovelled the pieces into her mouth, which worked on it furiously. Her shoulder length glossy black hair was shimmering under the sun, shielding her face from general view, but she had tucked the tresses that faced me behind her ear in a hasty manner. Her deeply lined eyes were zooming across the pages of some book that lay split open at her hand.

She sighed after shovelling the last potato piece in, and closed the book with a threatening snap. But the snap wasn't of anger. It was a sad snap, melancholic – she was frowning evidently because of what had happened in the book. It was a frustrated snap.

I should sneak a peak at the book.

As though sensing my gaze, Thalia's eyes met mine, and she glared, her blue ones shocking me gravely. That was weird how she could make me feel weird.

Her gaze dropped, and she got up to put her plate away. I thought I saw her smile somewhere.

"Whatsup, Seaweed Brain." Trilled a voice behind me. I turned to see – ah. It was Annabeth. "You look sunburnt. Did you sleep in by any chance?"

I gaped in horror. "_Sunburnt_? Oh great. Just great. _Blinding_ isn't enough."

"Well yeah," she said matter-of-factly. "Blinding isn't in the sun's heart – because it just is so cruel. Sun burning, however, is a natural thing, so Apollo need not feel guilty."

"Whatever," I said, silently cursing him.

"So, what are you planning to do today? Chiron says we can have a free day."

"Who – us, or everyone?"

"Everyone, genius!!" she laughed.

"Okay," I said. "Well, what do you have in mind?"

She looked over at her own table, some of the people of whom were staring at her. "My cousins and stuff want me to hang with them and research Daedalus."

I forced on a smile and tried not to roll my eyes. Success. "Well, hope you have fun."

Her face fell and she frowned sadly at me. "I really don't want to. Daedalus sounds fun but I'd rather….well…you know…" she breathed. "I'd rather be with you and read the diary. Your past is fascinating, and truth be told, your mom's diary is better than any book I have ever read."

"So you wanna hang out with me just because of the diary?"

She looked absolutely mortified. A red splotchy colour stained her face and her eyes grew wider than drachmas.

"I'm using you, and you can't see? Now close your gaping gob and commence!"

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Dear Diary,

I found myself waking up and staring at blue.

That's how well the day started, can you imagine it? Blue. I don't mind the blue. Everything blue is everything unique, because I love to see the ocean because it reminds me of Poseidon. His grandeur, his humanity….

But when you wake up to blue, it can be very disorientating.

I stretched out of my curled position immediately and almost yelled. It was as if I was walking on the bed of the sea – as if somebody had pulled me out of my cozy earth and put me into Bikini Bottom from SpongeBob. I was literally standing at the rock bottom of god knows which ocean – as far as I could see, it was just a flat expanse of blue. My feet rested on the lip of an oyster and I yelped in surprise when I actually ceased craning my head up and up to feel the diminished rays of sunlight.

The giant, luminescent body of the oyster glimmering dimly, and the lips lay open artistically. The flesh of the oyster was soft and pink like an actually bed, and it was dented where I had slept. Looking inside, I saw the pearl tucked away in the corner, glowing slightly, as if it was a lamp for me, or perhaps a crystal ball that held my future in its own shelled cover.

I was flabbergasted by what I saw.

And I know Poseidon was nowhere beside me, so why was I so dry?

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**A bit short, sorry! I shall try to update!**

**REVIEW!**

**Ash :)**


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